A Tigre Delta boat tour is a fantastic option for a day trip from Buenos Aires. The experience will take you out of the busy landscape of high-rises to see a completely different side of the city and explore its river-based nature. While it’s possible to reach Tigre on your own via public transport, the journey takes a bit of effort, and an organised trip takes the hassle away. We tried a fun Tigre Delta boat tour ourselves, and here we share our honest review.
We tried this Tigre Delta day trip personally, we paid for it ourselves and we have not been paid for this review. This page contains affiliate links, which means we may make a small commission from bookings at no extra cost to you. We always given honest, genuine travel recommendations.
This tour is for you if:
✅ You are looking for fun day trips from Buenos Aires
✅ You want to see a completely different side of the city
✅ You want to see Tigre Delta but don’t want to find your own way there
Quick links to book this Tigre Delta boat tour: GetYourGuide | Viator
What is the Tigre Delta?
The Tigre Delta is the world’s third largest river delta, where two of South America’s largest rivers meet – Rio Paraná and Río Uruguay. This phenomenon happens to be right on the doorstep of Argentina’s flamboyant capital city, Buenos Aires.
The town of Tigre sits on the riverside about 25 kilometres north of Buenos Aires (depending on your starting point from the city). Tigre is surrounded by the meandering river delta, with the heavy flow of sediment-heavy waters creating a unique natural habitat with a subtropical feel.
Setters have inhabited the delta for centuries, and in the 17th century it also became a hotspot for smugglers. There remains an established community of locals in the area, but in more recent times it has become a popular holiday destination for affluent Argentinians.
The town of Tigre has leaned in to the tourism opportunity, and it has an array of attractions, such as an amusement park and souvenir markets. The delta has also become popular for water activities like canoeing.
Can you get to Tigre by public transport from Buenos Aires?
Yes, it is possible to reach Tigre by public transport, and there a few options to do so:
- Mitre train: this is the cheapest and fastest option. Go to the Retiro train station and buy a ticket for the Tigre line (Mitre Ramal Tigre) – trains typically depart about every 15 minutes. Ride all the way to the last stop. This option takes about an hour, not including the time it will take you to get to the station.
- Tren de las Costa (tourist train): The “train of the coast” was created as a tourist experience, clinging to the coastline and stopping at little old stations on the way to Tigre. It’s slightly more complicated, as you first need to take the commuter train from Retiro on the Mitre line (Mitre Ramal Mitre) and ride to the last stop at Mitre. Then cross the road to Tren de la Costa, where you can ride it to Tigre. Find out more on the Tren de la Costa website.
- Bus: the number 60 bus route to Tigre passes by many Buenos Aires landmarks, including Avenida de Mayo, the National Congress, Recoleta Cemetery, and the neighbourhoods of Palermo and San Isidro. The bus usually takes at least 90 minutes, often more in traffic, and is more expensive than the train.
Once you are in Tigre, you are free to explore the town and its various tourist attractions at your own pace.
You can also take a boat tour on the delta departing from Tigre, which is cheaper than the full boat tour from Buenos Aires. For example, this 1-hour river delta tour departs daily at 10:30 and 12:00.
Why take a Tigre Delta boat tour?
If the journey to Tigre by public transport sounds like a lot of hassle, then you can take a guided boat tour from Buenos Aires. That’s what we did.
As you would expect, it’s more expensive to take an organised tour than make your own way to Tigre, but we felt it was worth it. You can pack a lot more into your day, including some great scenic views on the journey there! The boat ride from Puerto Madero to the delta gives you an amazing river view of the city skyline.
A Tigre Delta boat tour is definitely one of the best things to do in Buenos Aires if you want to get out of the heart of the city, and see a different perspective of life and the environment on the outskirts.
After looking into many different options, we decided to book a small group boat tour. We booked it through GetYourGuide, but you can also book the same tour on Viator if you prefer. We frequently use both of these sites to book our own travel experiences as they’re secure and usually have flexible cancellation options.
The tour begins at 9am or 9:30am depending on whether you want a hotel pick-up or go straight to the meeting point. In total it lasts about 6 hours, including the cruise through the Tigre Delta with commentary from a guide, and some visits to interesting sites in and around Tigre itself. Plus, you get some tasty traditional empanadas for lunch.
See our Buenos Aires itinerary for 7 days to see how you can fit this day trip into a week in the city. If you’re planning a shorter trip, try our itinerary for 3 days in Buenos Aires.
We had a great time on the tour. Let’s walk through it in a bit more detail and some tips on how you can make the most of it.
Tigre Delta boat tour: our review
We decided against getting the hotel pickup option for the tour, as it costs a bit extra and it was only about a 25-minute walk from our hostel to the meeting point (the lobby of the Hilton Buenos Aires hotel in the Puerto Madero neighbourhood).
We love the dockside neighbourhood of Puerto Madero. You need to arrive at the Hilton 10 minutes before the set-off time at 9:30, but you might want to come a bit earlier to have a morning walk around the waterfront. The café at the Hilton does a great coffee so that’s an option too if you arrive early!
Our guide, Melania, arrived and welcomed us to the tour, and we then drove a short distance by minibus around to the port, where we would check in and board the boat.
The boat we took had some seating inside as well as an open air deck. If you’d prefer to sit inside, then try and get on board early for a good seat. We were very happy to stay outside and enjoy the views! There are benches for sitting out on deck as well.
Great city views from the river
Buenos Aires is such a huge city, but you don’t quite see the full perspective of it until you witness its landscape from a distance. The boat journey to the Tigre Delta has an unabated view of the city’s labyrinth of high rises from the waters of the Rio Plata.
The journey takes about 90 minutes, maybe more or maybe less, depending on the water levels and currents on the day. Our tour was on one of the slower days, but we didn’t mind as it meant we got to enjoy the views for a bit longer!
The first part of the boat ride passes through the docks area, weaving past colossal shipping vessels, cranes and containers. After that we were out into the open estuary, with the magnificent backdrop of the Buenos Aires skyline.
Throughout the ride, the boat’s captain gave interesting narration on the city’s major landmarks as we drifted past them on the shoreline. This also helped give us some ideas for what we might explore the next day.
Weaving through the delta
As the boat enters the delta, the pace slows down a bit so you can absorb the natural habitat and get a good look at the interesting constructions and notable sites along the shoreline. We passed local fishing boats and couples exploring on small row-boats.
The delta environment has an almost Amazonian feel to it. The milky brown waters and thick green vegetation almost felt like we were back in the Peruvian jungle. This peaceful habitat, a haven for wildlife, is a mind-blowing change of scenery from the bustling city we’d just left behind.
Continuing through the delta you pass an array of buildings, from stilted wooden houses to swanky resorts. We passed a couple of gorgeous-looking sandy beaches, which were quiet as our visit was during the Argentinian winter season in August. When summertime comes around, the shores of this part of the delta become populated with holiday-goers.
The most peculiar building we passed was Casa Museo Sarmiento, also known as Sarmiento House. This cream-coloured little house was the 19th-century residence of Domingo Sarmiento, Argentina’s 7th president. It’s now a designated National Historic Monument and museum, and is protected by a large square glass structure.
Arriving in Tigre: quiet on a Tuesday
As the boat approaches the port at Tigre, the landscape changes again, re-entering a more urban environment. The rollercoasters and big wheel of Parque de la Costa, Tigre’s amusement park, overlook the river close to the docking point.
The park is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and our tour happened to be on a Tuesday. This made quite a difference to our experience of the town. Other attractions were closed too, and when we visited the market, only a handful of the stalls were fully open.
With this in mind, we would definitely recommend taking the tour between Wednesday and Sunday, so you can experience a more lively vibe in Tigre. Unless, of course, you are happier to avoid the crowds!
Puerto de Frutos markets
After a little wander around, we headed to Puerto de Frutos, a waterfront marketplace in Tigre. Melania handed out some tasty empanadas for our lunch as well as a drink each, and we had some free time to explore.
Even though it was a quiet day at the market, we still enjoyed perusing the locally made crafts, homeware, textiles, plants, and other little treasures that we could find.
The stunning San Isidro Cathedral
Another quirk of our boat tour being on a Tuesday was that our itinerary was slightly different to the regular one. Typically you will visit Tigre Art Museum and the local council headquarters, but as these are also closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, we made a stop at the San Isidro neighbourhood instead to see its spectacular cathedral.
San Isidro is one of the most affluent neighbourhoods in Buenos Aires, and its streets are lined with leafy trees and colourful colonial houses. The neogothic cathedral is its centrepiece, with its tower protruding 68 metres high over the rooftops.
We had a chance to explore the cathedral inside and out, from its bright white ornate interior to the calm, leafy plazas surrounding it. Melania, helpful as always, told us all about the cathedral’s history and significance to the local community. It was constructed by French architects in the late 19th century on the site of an older church.
Beers back in Puerto Madero!
The cathedral was the last stop on our tour before we were driven back to Buenos Aires in the minibus. As we passed neighbourhoods like Palermo and Recoleta, Melania gave more insights and recommendations.
Finally, we arrived back at Puerto Madero, where the sun was shining. We took the opportunity to have a couple of refreshing beers at Peñón del Águila, a floating bar on the waterfront! A great way to round off a satisfying day trip from Buenos Aires.
FAQs about the Tigre Delta boat tour
Is Tigre worth it?
If you have space in your Buenos Aires itinerary for a day trip, then a Tigre Delta boat tour is one of the best options. You get to experience a completely different side of the city and see some nature. Tours are typically 5–6 hours which means they’re not very tiring like long day trips can be, and you still have time to relax or explore once you’re back in Buenos Aires.
How much does a Tigre Delta boat tour cost?
Tigre Delta boat tours from Buenos Aires vary in price from depending on what is included in the itinerary, typically ranging from about $60 to $120 for small group day trips. The tour we chose cost around $90. Cheaper tours tend to be a bit shorter and without food included. Note that prices have fluctuated in Argentina in recent years due to economic instability, and the situation can change quickly.
Can you swim in the Tigre Delta?
There are places in the Tigre Delta where it is possible to swim, and swimming has been a popular local activity here for centuries. Holiday-goers like to swim on the delta’s beaches. However, organised tours to the delta don’t include swimming. We wouldn’t recommend trying it unless you have trusted local advice or you are an experienced wild swimmer.
What should you wear on a Tigre Delta boat tour?
What to wear on a Tigre Delta boat tour depends on the time of year you are visiting. Our trip was in winter season. Despite temperatures being quite warm at the time on land, it got very cold out on the river. There can be significant wind chill even in summer, so we recommend bringing something warm for the boat ride.
Have you taken a Tigre Delta boat tour? Let us know about your experience in the comments below.
Looking for somewhere to eat for a treat when you are back in the city? Check out our reviews of the Fogón Asado experience in Buenos Aires and the El Querandi tango show with dinner.
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